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<br />THE ECHO OF ECHO PARK <br /> <br />,,"- <br />If':-:-" <br />~-:ftl <br /> <br />Major elements of the organized environmental movement in the <br />united States have come forward to, in one fashion or another, op- <br />pose the construction of Juniper-Cross Mountain Hydroelectric <br />Project in Northwest Colorado. The opposition stems largely from <br />points related to the effects on the Yampa River downstream in <br />Dinosaur National Monument. On its face, this opposition would <br />not seem to be unusual. <br /> <br />However, in view of the history of attempts to develop North- <br />west Colorado water resources and in view of the history of Dino- <br />saur National Monument, this opposition represents the latest in <br />a long line of broken promises. <br /> <br />Consider the history: <br /> <br />OCTOBER 17, 1904--The first of many water and power site with- <br />drawals in the region is made for the Brown's Park reservoir. (1) <br /> <br />MARCH 25, 1905--A withdrawal is made for the White River reclama- <br />tion project on the Yampa River near Juniper Springs. Several <br />more withdrawals related to Juniper follow. (2) <br /> <br />MAY 26, 1909--The first of ten withdrawals between 1909 and 1925 <br />related to Echo Park and Split Mountain is made. (3) <br /> <br />JUNE 18, 1909--The first of several federal power site reserves <br />for Cross Mountain is established and the site withdrawn. (4) <br /> <br />AUGUST 17, 1909--Paleontologist Earl Douglass discovers an ac- <br />cumulation of petrified dinosaur bones on a small site in North- <br />eastern Utah. (5) <br /> <br />19l5--Woodrow Wilson, by presidential proclamation, establishes <br />Dinosaur National Monument, 80 acres covering the Douglass find but <br />excluding any water. (6) <br /> <br />DECADE OF THE THIRTIES--Citizens of the Craig area, led by C. A. <br />Stoddard, I. P. Beckett and G. A. pughe, embark on an extensive <br />program to get Dinosaur National Monument enlarged. (7) The en- <br />largement is to include the Split Mountain and Echo Park reservoir <br />sites but provision is to be made for construction of those reser- <br />voirs within what would become the enlarged Monument. The promoter~ <br />of park expansion are also among the promoters of water p~oject <br />development. In 1934, the Federal Power Commission, on inquiry from <br />the National Park Service, denies a request to consider vacation of <br />the power withdrawals in view of park expansion. In 1936, public <br />hearings are held in Vernal, Utah, and Craig, Colorado, at which <br />point local citizens are promised that expansion of the park will <br />not hinder or affect ultimate construction of Echo Park and Split <br />Mountain Reservoirs. (8) On July 14, 1938, Franklin Delano Roosevelt <br />signs a Presidential proclamation expanding Dinosaur National <br />